


Connected

by absentminded_reylo



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, Love, New Alternate Universe - Modern with connections to Star Wars thru dreams, New Alternate Universe - old star wars history coming up through modern times possibly, Reylo Week, help me what have I done
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:07:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22607470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/absentminded_reylo/pseuds/absentminded_reylo
Summary: In modern day, Ben and Rey have no idea each other exist as real human beings, outside the recurring dreams they are having about eachother. These dreams, which take place in the Star Wars semi-canon universe, cause the two of them to question everything they thought they knew, and feel as though something, or someone, is missing from their lives. Through their dreams they start to unravel a complicated story of enemies-to-lovers, which they originally believe is of their own mind’s creation. Is it possible that somehow these two are being connected by some force in the universe?
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 3
Kudos: 49





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> My first time posting - I do have a few chapters ready if there is interest! I'll probably keep posting even if this is never seen lol. I wanted to write something that I haven't personally read being done before and I'm excited to go on this journey. I have a loose plan, an end goal, but no decisions made on timeline and specifics. So let's enjoy!
> 
> hey, thanks for reading! you can find me on tumblr as absentminded-reylo & on twitter as distractedreylo! :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> find me on tumblr as absentminded-reylo <3

_CONNECTED_

CHAPTER ONE

She took a breath.

When Rey finally came to, she found that she was being embraced by Kylo - no - _Ben_. She could tell from the look in his eyes, the desperation with which he looked at her, that he had finally come back to the Light. It filled Rey with the most intense feeling of joy, as she looked back into his eyes and realized what had happened.

“Ben,”

They had defeated Palpatine. _They_. Ben had come back to her, even after she defeated and subsequently healed him on the wreckage of the Death Star II on Kef Bir. She had a fleeting thought about what kind of person could still want her after she had tried to murder them.

But that thought was quickly erased as she surged forward and pulled Ben into a kiss that felt as though it would set the stars on fire. Wait - _the stars already are balls of fire - aren’t they?_ Rey realized she didn’t care, she just knew that there was nowhere else she would rather be at this moment. When they finally broke apart, Ben was looking at her as if she was the single greatest being on this plane of existence. He pulled his lips into a long-awaited smile, probably the first in about _8 years_. Grinning from ear to ear, he stared into Rey’s eyes and she knew that she would never have to be alone again.

But then she felt him fall. 

She held his hand and shoulder as he laid back and closed his eyes. Rey didn’t understand, _he’s completely fine, he must be resting, he exerted himself too much_ , she thought. But then she felt the Force bond snap, and Ben slowly faded away.

Ben Solo was dead. He promised her that she would never have to be alone again, then left her feeling more alone than she ever had before. This was nothing compared to the lonely life of a scavenger on Jakku. Where the tendrils of her Force used to be able to dance and swim with his, there was now a cold, brick wall. The bundle of energy that she grew to love, throbbing and unwelcomed in the back of her mind, was gone. She realized she missed it. Her heart broke.

And then she woke up.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, thanks for reading! you can find me on tumblr as absentminded-reylo & on twitter as distractedreylo! :)

CHAPTER TWO

When Rey woke up in her cottage in Dedham, light was streaming through the sheer blue curtains that lined her windows and tears were streaming down her face. 

_What the FUCK was that about_? Rey had struggled with vivid, heart wrenching dreams before - but nothing quite like that experience. She realized that she was crying and hastened to wipe her tears on the edge of her blanket, before realizing that there was nobody around for her to hide her tears from.

When she was still living with her foster family, it would have been a different story. Although they were always very loving and kind, she felt like she needed to be a perfect, happy child in order to show them that they hadn’t taken in damaged goods. It was a fear she lived with her entire life. What if they realized they made a mistake, just like her bio parents did? When she finally turned 18, Rey had hopped on a train to Essex with no word to her foster family. If she wasn’t around for them to abandon, she would never have to go through that pain.

Breaking her train of thought, Rey looked at the clock on her bedside table. _8:47 A.M._

“Shit!” She jumped out of bed, got dressed and ran out the door within 3 minutes. A 15 minute bike ride into town would have to be done in ten. She knew Maz wouldn’t mind if she was a few minutes late, but Rey always had this complex about pleasing everyone around her - and she wasn’t sure if she could live with herself if she was late.

She arrived at the shop at 8:59 A.M., a mere one minute before her shift started. A short, peculiar woman walked out of the office wearing a pair of dirty coveralls and huge glasses.

“You look like shit, dear,” Maz stated while looking Rey up and down. “Dreams again?”

Rey nodded, _worse than normal_ , she thought, but didn’t let Maz in on that fact. This dream - or rather, nightmare - was one she wanted to keep to herself until she could escape to write about it.

When Rey had arrived in Dedham four years ago from London, she didn’t have much other than a small suitcase and the clothes on her back. She had gotten off the train and promptly sat on the bench outside the train station, and before she knew it it was dark outside. Maz had been walking by at the time, and must’ve noticed a lost look on Rey’s face, as she stopped in her tracks and said “Not from around here, huh dear? Better come with me, I’ve got a place for you to stay and some work for you if you’re interested.”

Ever since that moment, Rey had come to Maz’s Mechanical every single morning at 9 A.M. Maz had taken her on as an apprentice, teaching her everything there was to know about fixing vehicles, machinery, farm tools and the like. Rey didn’t think she would be interested in anything like that while she was growing up, but she found that she loved the tinkering. She loved taking something that wasn’t functioning properly, opening it up, learning how it should work and accordingly fixing it.

“Earth to Rey! You still in there?” Maz was waving her arms back and forth wildly in front of Rey’s face. “Yeah, yeah sorry Maz, just distracted today,” Rey sheepishly replied.

“I was just telling you about the ‘70s Ford that we have in the shop today - engine replacement and conversion from gas to diesel. I think you can handle it yourself, but you best go get yourself a cuppa beforehand.” Maz pointed to the office and beckoned Rey to go brew herself something that might sharpen her mind.

As it turns out, the tea didn’t do much to help, but working on the old truck completely removed her from her distracted thoughts as she spent all day waist deep in engine parts. Before she knew it, it was 5 P.M. and time to go home. Rey knew she would honestly be happy to stay all night lost in the sea of tools and parts, but that really wasn’t healthy.

Reluctantly, she helped Maz close up shop and grabbed her bike. “See you tomorrow morning, Maz.”

“Not coming to the Pub tonight, Rey?” Maz said inquisitively.

“No, I think I’m going to head to the grove for a bit.” It was the height of summer, and the days were still long. Rey had plenty of time to escape to her favorite spot before heading home. She was dreading the day when it started to get colder outside and the dark came earlier; it felt like part of her became closed off not being able to escape to the place she felt most connected to herself.

_________________________________________________________________

When she arrived at the grove, she was surrounded by the familiar oaks and beech trees that encircled the area. The open field was made up of dozens of native plants and flowers, mainly bluebells and foxgloves. It was a beautiful place that she stumbled upon a few months after moving to Essex, and it was solely hers. She plopped herself down into the grass and let the thoughts of her dream flow back into her mind. She took those thoughts and let them flow onto the paper of her notebook - writing out every detail of the beauty marks that marked his face, the rough texture of his hands as he caressed her cheek, the soft, black hair that fell around his face. Before long, she had filled enough pages to cause her hand to start cramping. 

She laid back in the grass and thought about how alone she felt, even with Maz in her life. She felt like something was missing, and she couldn’t shake the feeling she had when he had died in her dream. Before long, Rey was asleep.

And she dreamed of Ben Solo, again.


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, thanks for reading! you can find me on tumblr as absentminded-reylo & on twitter as distractedreylo! :)

CHAPTER THREE

Ben Solo woke up in his ridiculously overpriced Brooklyn “apartment” drenched in sweat and tangled in his sheets. Who the hell was this girl, and why the hell was she invading his dreams as much as she was lately? _I’ve never seen her before outside of my dreams, but WHY does she seem so familiar. Why does it feel like I’ve known her forever?_

He saw face after face throughout his few years of lecturing at Columbia University, so it was a possibility that he had seen her before in one of his classes, but it felt wrong to come to the conclusion that he was dreaming about a student. He was 32 years old, and far past the stupid crushes every professor struggled with within their first years of lecturing.

Reluctantly, Ben peeled himself up from his bed and started to get ready for the commute to work. He absolutely adored his job. Although going through school to become a professor of Classical Anthropology was a far stretch from the politician route that his mother urged him to follow, he never felt like he had made a wrong choice. Anthropology was his passion, and one of the only things he spent his life not regretting. 

Yeah, he knew from his colleagues that the students he taught were mostly forced into it looking for an easy class to get their elective credit. But Ben didn’t care. When he was in that lecture hall, trying to teach every piece of information he has obsessed over and loved throughout the years, it didn’t matter that it likely only interested two or three of a hundred students. He loved it.

Then of course there were the rumors his friends tried to push on him repeatedly at the bar. “Students only take your classes cause they think you’re the hot professor,” they’d said. _Pfft._ His face was covered in beauty marks, his nose was too large, he had to grow his hair long to cover his enormous ears and when he smiled it looked like he was trying to communicate an S.O.S with his eyes. Ben was fairly certain that nobody in their right mind thought he was attractive. 

Shaking himself from his thoughts, he got dressed, grabbed a coffee and headed for the bus.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Professor Solo! I just don’t quite understand how analyzing a 5000 year old ceramic pot from Athens is going to help us understand what their _society_ was like back then.” A girl shouted from the back of the lecture hall.

His heart skipped a beat at a student taking an advanced interest in the material he was teaching on the projector. “Well, putting objects and features together in order to tell a story is the most difficult part of anthropology,” he started into a very long winded answer. By the time he finished with what he deemed to be a satisfactory response, he realized that the student had just been reiterating a question that he had asked them on yesterday’s homework. She was fishing for an answer so that she could fill out her homework before handing it in at the end of this lecture. 

Ben’s heart dropped as he had a fleeting thought, _is this going to be enough to fulfill me for the rest of my life?_

“That’s all for today’s lecture. I’ll be ending class fifteen minutes early today. Hand in yesterday’s assignments now and I’ll return them to you tomorrow,” he stated coldly. There was an audible groan from the class and his spirits dropped even further. 

None of them had taken an interest in the lecture, they just wanted time to finish their assignments the day of.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, thanks for reading! you can find me on tumblr as absentminded-reylo & on twitter as distractedreylo! :)

CHAPTER FOUR

Over the next few weeks, Rey continued with her standard routine - work, read, sleep, dream of Ben Solo, wake up, write, panic about being alone, repeat - totally normal. 

Her tiny cottage had been her pride and joy from the first moment she paid rent to Maz. Reduced rent, of course, as Maz couldn’t keep herself from helping Rey at every chance she got. Her cottage was quaint, but comfortable. Covered in shelves and bookcases filled with notebooks, fiction novels, books about common flora and trees, and more notebooks. Rey found if she spent her free time with her nose stuck in a book or writing so much her hand couldn’t take it anymore, she spent much less time obsessing and second guessing every thought that drifted into her crowded mind. 

But no matter how much Rey read or wrote or worked, she could never stave off this endless feeling of loneliness. So she decided she would do something different tonight, after work.

She got home to her beloved cottage, skipping her evening trip to the grove, and got into her favorite flowy dress. One she hadn’t worn in ages. With a quick pass in the mirror, running her fingers through her brown wavy hair, she left her cottage and started on her way to the Pub.

The town pub was called the Pub because it was the one hangout for the evenings in Dedham. Which meant basically everyone would be there. Rey stood outside the door, listening to the music and chatter that continued on inside.

“Shit,” she muttered under her breath. _I’m not meant for this, nobody wants me here. Why did I do this to myself?_ She turned around and started the walk back home, when Maz opened the door.

“Come back here right now, dear. You walked all this way, and you look beautiful so you’re coming in for a drink.”

Reluctantly, Rey trudged forward into the Pub.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first five minutes had been what torture must feel like. Rey was sure of it. Everyone had turned to look at her, and she realized her favorite flowy dress was very out of place. She willed the beet red blush to drain from her cheeks and followed Maz to get a drink from the bar. 

Now, the blush had been replaced by the flush in her cheeks that the alcohol brought on. She had managed to speak to a few of Maz’s friends without stumbling over her words too much, and she had a bit more confidence - but she was still sitting in the back corner praying that nobody would notice she was there.

The next thing she knew, a man was beside her asking if the seat at her table was taken. Rey quickly shook her head. _Oh my god, play it cool, don’t freak out it’s just another human being._

“Who are you?” Rey blurted out without meaning to. _Cool, really smooth Rey_.

He chuckled and shook her hand, “Thomas. It’s nice to meet you. Who are you?” He said with a slight teasing demeanor in his voice. Rey introduced herself and they started talking. About everything, about nothing - she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a genuine conversation with someone else her age. Before she knew it, it was last call.

“Let me walk you home,” Thomas suggested. They continue their conversation on the fifteen minute walk back to her cottage. The entire time she’s panicking - _does he expect me to invite him in? Was this a date? How do I say goodnight? I don’t know if I’m ready to invite him in._

They reached her front door, and Thomas seemed to sense her anxiousness. “I had a wonderful time talking to you tonight, Rey, and I’d love to get together again if you’re interested. I hope you have a good rest of your evening.” He turned to walk back down the path.

Rey didn’t know what took over in her at that moment, whether it was how friendly he was, how he wasn’t forcing her to continue their night together, or whether she was just lonely - but she grabbed him and kissed him.

It was nice, but inexperienced and unexpected. She pulled away and snuck inside, quickly closing the door in his face. _Shit. Why did I do that? Why the fuck couldn’t I just keep it cool?_ She slowly sunk down with her back against the door, trying to understand the flood of emotions she was processing at that moment.

Only one stuck out to her, above all else. _Betrayal_.

After all the noteworthy kisses she and Ben had shared in her dreams, kissing someone else seemed so empty. _This is insane. He’s a boy in my dreams. He’s not real, I need to get over this_. 

But it all felt so real - their bond felt soul wrenching and satisfying and beautiful, nothing compared to the emptiness of the kiss she had just shared with Thomas. Rey couldn’t tell whether the feelings she had were her own overactive imagination, or whether Ben was someone, somewhere in the universe that fate meant for her to find. 

All she knew was that these feelings felt like they were going to ruin her. 

  
  
  
  
  



	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, thanks for reading! you can find me on tumblr as absentminded-reylo & on twitter as distractedreylo! :)

CHAPTER FIVE

They were seated in a hut on the remote planet of Ahch To, face to face in front of a fire. Well, Kylo knew he wasn’t actually there - the Force bond was connecting them again, against their will. She was crying; it struck something in him that he didn’t know still existed.

“I thought I’d find answers here,” Rey strained, with tears streaming down her face. “I was wrong. I’d never felt so alone.”

“You’re not alone,” Kylo admitted, removing one of his leather gloves.

“Neither are you. It isn’t too late.” Rey tentatively reached out her hand. They were so close. They weren’t even in the same planetary system - how could he feel the warmth of her skin? Their fingertips were so close to brushing, he was sure that the anticipation was going to kill him.

_Ring, ring, ring_

What was that? A confused look flashed across both of their faces, and they resumed the painstaking task of slowly moving closer together using the Force. A few more inches and their hands would be touching.

_Ring, ring, ring_

Kylo hadn’t touched anyone skin to skin in years. Not since he was still Ben. He destroyed that part of himself, but he wondered if she could be the one to bring him back. To help him find the Light.

_Ring, ring, ring_

Millimetres now, they were so close. The outside scene started to fade away until all that was left was Kylo and Rey.

_Ring, ring, ring_

But they never touched. He blinked and she was gone.


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, thanks for reading! you can find me on tumblr as absentminded-reylo & on twitter as distractedreylo! :)

CHAPTER SIX

Ben awoke suddenly.

_Ring, ring, ring_

It was his fucking cell phone. The entire thing had been a dream. _How is this possible? It felt so real_. With a quick glance at the time - 4 A.M. - Ben picked up his phone.

“Professor Solo,” Ben stated as a way of greeting, with a groggy voice and slight annoyance that whoever was calling had interrupted his time with Rey.

“Oh, hi there Professor Solo - I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to reach you. Oh dear - what time is it there? I completely forgot about the time change, I must’ve woken you, I’m truly sorry,” a heavy British accent rambled on through his phone.

“It’s alright, who is this?” he replied gruffly. “Oh, right. This is Dr. Pritchard. I’m an anthropologist with the British Museum here in London. I have an important offer to present to you. I’ve already been in contact with Columbia University - so no need to worry about that…” she explains quickly.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After an excruciatingly long phone conversation at an ungodly hour, Ben figured it made more sense to get up early than to try and go back to sleep. He needed to get out and do some thinking anyway.

He had a big decision ahead of him, and the only thing he could do to help himself work through it was to go for a run. Swapping his flannel bottoms for shorts and running shoes, he headed out the door.

An hour later, he was in the middle of nowhere in Brooklyn, but he had finally come to a decision.

It was time to call up his mother.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hey Mom, sorry I know we haven’t talked in awhile.”

“Ben! I know you’re busy with your job but you really need to learn to call your mother more - I want to know how you’re doing and hear about your life, do you have a girlfriend? How’s New York? How’s teaching, are you still doing the anthropology stuff? When are you coming to visit? Are you going to be coming home for Christmas? You haven’t been home in three years, Ben, I’d love to see you,” Leia word vomited into his phone speaker.

“Mom, you need to calm down, I’m calling you with news.” This statement was followed with silence. “Mom, I’m going to be moving away.”

“What?! Why? I thought you loved New York and your teaching position, I don’t understand, what happened?”

“Well, they replaced my position at Columbia -”

“Ben I told you so. I told you that studying anthropology would never lead to job longevity. You should’ve pursued politics like I said -” Ben rolled his eyes and sighed audibly. _When the hell did she become so overbearing, and why can I not get a word in edgewise?_ Ben thought silently to himself.

“MOM! Stop for a second and let me finish! They replaced my position at Columbia because I’ve been asked to take a position in England…” Ben stated hesitantly. Another interruption “What, at Cambridge? Teaching what classes?”

“No Mom, they want me to work at a site. On a dig. They want me to actually use my degree as an anthropologist, as a consultant on a spot they found, somewhere in Essex.”

Ben couldn’t help but grin. He loved teaching, of course, but his passion was anthropology itself. Using his passion and his degree the way it actually should be used, in anthropological study, had to be so much more rewarding than lecturing. He couldn’t help but feel like this was the step he needed to take to become closer to finding what it was he was missing. 

If moving to a foreign place and taking a big risk was what was needed to try and find that missing piece, it was worth it.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not posting yesterday <3
> 
> Mood boards will likely only be for chapters that I have the definite inspiration to do them for, as my story has started to develop into something a lot larger in my mind, and I'd rather spend more time writing than putting pictures together <3
> 
> Please keep dropping comments/kudos - means the world :)
> 
> hey, thanks for reading! you can find me on tumblr as absentminded-reylo & on twitter as distractedreylo! :)

CHAPTER SEVEN

Rey found herself on the edge of a cliff on the island of Ahch To, staring out into the abyss of saltwater. She felt overcome with feelings of guilt, despair and betrayal. Before she could linger on what those feelings were a response to, she felt the Force bond snap into place.

“I’d rather not do this now,” she bit out. “Yeah, me too,” a deep, nonchalant voice responded behind her.

“Why did you hate your father?” Suddenly she remembered why she was feeling that plethora of dark emotions. He had killed Han Solo. 

She turned around to face Kylo and found herself face to face with a very shirtless, very toned man. She scoffed at herself, realizing how pathetic it was that he was this distracting to her. She wanted to question him about murdering his father, about why he did it, but all she could think of was those cords of muscle lining his abdomen and how it would feel if she could run her hands over them.  _ Jesus Christ, Rey. Get it together. This man is your enemy, he is a monster _ . But no matter how many times she recited that, trying to rid herself of the deceitful thoughts lining her mind, she couldn’t shake this feeling of endearment towards him.

It had a strange familiarity to it. Like the Force bond - or whatever connection they were sharing - was encouraging her traitorous mind.

She brought her mind back to the task at hand; questioning Kylo Ren about the murder of his father. She thought through the information she needed to get out of him, in order to seek validation or soothe the feelings of betrayal and grief she was experiencing, and before she knew it words were flowing freely out of her mouth. Almost as if she couldn’t control them.

“Why did you hate your father, give me an honest answer,” she half-screamed at him. “You had a father who loved you, who gave a damn about you!” He stepped forward slowly and she felt her eyes being pulled towards his shirtless body once again.  _ Why is my brain forsaking me? I am not here to drool over his abs, I’m here to get answers _ !

“I didn’t,” the casual response hit Rey like a strike to the face. “Then why!?”

“Why what?” Kylo asked. “Why what? Say it!”

“Why did you kill him? I don’t understand,” Rey struggled through tears. “No, your parents threw you away like garbage.” That struck a nerve, some far away thought pertaining to loneliness and abandonment lingered in the back of her mind.

“They didn’t-”

“They did, you can’t stop needing them. It’s your greatest weakness. Looking for them everywhere, in Han Solo, now in Skywalker.” She can’t help but feel an intimate connection with this monster - he knows her deepest secrets, he understands somehow. The Force bond seems to bloom with this insight, praising her for heading in the right direction.

“Did he tell you what happened that night?” In detail, Kylo describes the night that Luke Skywalker entered into his room at the Jedi training temple. Rey felt a tug at her chest when she realized that Kylo was speaking about before - before his turn to the Dark, when he was still Ben Solo.

He recounted how Luke had seen the darkness in Ben, and he had sought to stop it in its tracks. He raised his lightsaber to Ben while he slept, hoping to end the growth of darkness by killing him. Instead, Luke had secured that fate.

The Force bond pulsed with appreciation as Kylo opened up to Rey and told her the truth of his story, as if applauding them for becoming closer to one another. As if it was what the bond craved.

Rey’s feelings of anguish towards the death of Han Solo were replaced by mourning for the loss of Ben, and she wanted nothing more than to care for him. At the thought of Ben she felt an intimacy that she couldn’t understand.

Before she could analyze any further, everything went dark.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rey woke with a start, glancing out her window and noticing the starlit sky and moon shining brightly through her curtains.  _ Another damn dream _ , she thought to herself.

But this one was different. More vivid, and more in depth.  _ Who were these other people that I spoke of in this dream? It had always just been Ben,  _ she thought to herself. Rey questioned the new names that had come up in this dream -  _ Han Solo, Luke, Skywalker _ . The names danced through her mind as if she had heard them for her entire life, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t muster up faces. It felt as though she knew them, but she had never seen them before. Above all else though, was her growing connection to Ben, which was unrivaled in comparison to the others.

She was starting to feel as though she understood this Ben Solo or Kylo Ren more and more with each passing night. She was starting to feel more of an intimate connection with him too, she realized, as she recalled the state of his shirtless body, which sent warmth shooting down to her core.

Rey groaned as she realized what was happening, and cursed herself for getting so worked up over someone who didn’t even exist. She barely had any experience with boys - Thomas was one of the few she had ever kissed - and she definitely hadn’t ventured down the path of anything remotely sexual. 

How was she having such a visceral reaction to a naked torso, let alone one of an imaginary man in her dreams?


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, thanks for reading! you can find me on tumblr as absentminded-reylo & on twitter as distractedreylo! :)

CHAPTER EIGHT

After confirming his flight to London, consequent travel to Langham, Essex, and accomodations thereforth, Ben had nothing else left to do but to pack. His classes at Columbia University had been taken over already by a stand-in professor, after Dr. Pritchard had pulled some strings to ensure that Ben would be able to join them in England without any complications.

The next few days consisted of saying goodbye to colleagues, packing the meager amount of belongings he was able to fit into his tiny ‘apartment’, and dreaming endlessly about this mystery woman, Rey.

He still couldn’t make sense of the recurring dreams he was having of her. He hadn’t ever really struggled with dream repetition in the past, and if he had it was for a clear reason - normally corresponding to some kind of stress or incident in his life. He thought back to when he first began lecturing and had a persistent dream of forgetting to wear pants to work.

But this wasn’t like that. She wasn’t like that.

Ben couldn’t curb a natural feeling to look forward to dreaming about her, almost as if she was someone he had been missing.

Craving her presence, he settled onto the couch for a quick nap, praying that she would show up for him once again.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As he looked through the window of the escape pod, Kylo was met with a set of trusting brown eyes. He was easily able to identify the passenger of the pod before it had landed on his ship, sensing her through their Force bond. 

Rey looked up at him with hope, and he saw bits and pieces of their interaction on Ahch To being sent through their bond into his mind. They had almost touched hands. “You’re not alone,” he had told her then. Kylo realized that she came here expecting to take up where they left off - she was coming to urge him back to the Light.

He continued to look into her eyes with a stern glare, forcing thoughts through their bond that made her face fall into a look of confusion and despair. He couldn’t turn back to the Light now. He had killed his father, completing the final task to ascend to the Dark side. Even if a small part of him wanted to, it wasn’t an option anymore.

She had made a mistake coming here.

Without a second thought, Kylo knew the only choice in front of him. He was going to bring her to Snoke and let her face her fate.

Alone, he took her to the elevator to make their way to the Supreme Leader.

“You don’t have to do this.”  _ What case does she think she has? She’s in restraints on her way to Snoke. She will turn. _ “I feel the conflict in you, it's tearing you apart. Ben,” she finally turns around to meet his eyes.

The task at hand started to blur when she stared into his eyes, with more wild faith than he had ever seen. She truly believed in what she came here to do. Rey rambled on about having seen his future, seeing that with time he will return to the Light. Feelings of doubt in himself and his purpose started to flood through him.

Rey stepped closer and Kylo couldn’t help but turn his gaze down to her lips. He felt truth to what she was saying, he felt relief through their bond and through her words. He thinks about kissing her, but something holds him back. It's as if some unknown power is telling him to wait.

Before he knows it, the elevator doors are open and Rey is being pulled forward into the room and forced to her knees. Kylo strides into the throne room and kneels before the Supreme Leader. He gazes at Rey and is struck with an unmistakable feeling.

He knew what he must do.

  
  
  
  



	9. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the love <3  
> Sorry I missed uploading yesterday - haven't had the inspiration lately :(
> 
> Hope you enjoy Chapter Nine ! :)
> 
> You can find me on tumblr as absentminded-reylo & on twitter as distractedreylo! :)

CHAPTER NINE

Following an eight hour day consisting of mindless oil changes, tire rotations and belt inspections, Rey didn’t have the energy to notice Maz walking out of the office with a bottle of liquor and a determined look on her face.

“Sit, child,” she demanded, as she grabbed two glasses and poured a healthy amount of amber liquid into both. “You’ve been extremely distracted as of late, and I’ve respected your space as long as I could, but I’m starting to worry about you.”

Rey nodded slowly and took a seat. “Have you ever had recurring dreams before, Maz? I don’t mean silly ones where you obviously have something going on in your life to cause them, I mean ones about the same person, ones with an eerie familiarity…” she trailed off. “I keep having vivid dreams of this man.” She bit her tongue before she gave Maz his name, feeling as though it was a little too personal. “I know I’ve never met him before, but I see him when I sleep and can’t help but feel like I’ve known him forever,” Rey explains.

“I haven’t, but I can understand why it’s affecting you as much as it is. You’ve been writing it all down? Trying to get it on paper may help to dull the dreams or cause them to fade a bit.” Rey quickly shook her head. “No, if anything it’s caused the dreams to become more intense. But I can’t hold it all in, I feel if I don’t write about it I’m going to explode.” Rey reflected on the near full notebook that she had just started before the dreams began.

“Well, hopefully it’s a phase that will pass in time. I just want to make sure you’re okay, dear. Somedays I feel as though I’m the only person you talk to, and sometimes I don’t hear many words from you for many days on end. Chatting with a human being can sometimes be more rewarding than pouring your heart out into your notebook, you know,” Maz said with a wink.

“I do appreciate your concern, Maz. I hope my distance hasn’t been affecting my work, and that you would tell me if it was. I’d best be heading home now though.” Rey stood up, grabbing her satchel and going for the door. Reaching for the handle, she turned back and whispered a brief ‘thank you’ to the only friend she felt she had.

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Rey trekked towards her cottage, quickly finding herself lost in thought as she analyzed the events of the past few weeks. Maybe Maz was right, maybe she should be speaking to someone about these dreams. She had been used to being lonely most of her life, but maybe some of her anxiety was coming to a head and presenting itself in this manner.  _ Maybe I should be trying to find myself a therapist _ , she thought.  _ Maybe I’m going crazy. _ Rey scoffed at herself, realizing how silly she sounded, before she looked up at her surroundings.

She was nowhere near her cottage.

Recognizing the oak and beech trees of her beloved grove, Rey figured she had just gotten lost in thought and walked too far. But something tugged at the core of her, urging her to keep going. Reluctantly, Rey continued on the grassy path that she had walked on time and time again, this time bypassing her beloved grove.

She walked along the path for another ten minutes or so, into territory that she had not yet travelled through. The grass grew longer than that of the grove, and the bluebells and foxgloves were replaced with bunches of white lilies. 

“New beginnings,” Rey muttered to herself. After coming across the grove for the first time, she had done some research into the plants and flowers that resided there. A book she had selected included the symbolic meanings for some common flora, and the significance of the lily had stuck in her mind.

Shaking herself from thoughts,  _ again _ , she noticed a peculiar patch of ivy off the side of the path, with a long object sticking partially out of the bush. Curiosity got the best of her as she pulled the stick-figure out of the ivy. 

She jumped back, immediately overcome by a sense of normality while holding this…  _ staff?  _ Rey looked the pole up and down, and noticed grains of sand trickling out of the bottom of the staff.  _ Sand? In the middle of the forest? _

It was a shabby, archaic, metal contraption which consisted of multiple different shapes and sizes of hardware all welded together to create a staff-like shape.

It fit in her hand like a perfectly shaped glove. It felt like it belonged there, with her. She immediately let go of the thing, letting it fall back into the ivy, and turned to walk away - bound and determined to leave it behind, hoping to get back to a state of normalcy.

But she couldn’t leave it. Walking away from the staff felt like leaving a little piece of herself in the woods. With a groan she stormed back, whisked the staff up from the ivy and started hiking back on the path towards her cottage.

_ What the hell is happening to me? _


	10. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay - I've been dealing with some stuff in real life that's been quite strenuous <3
> 
> thanks for reading! you can find me on tumblr as absentminded-reylo & on twitter as distractedreylo! :)

CHAPTER TEN

Rey woke up on the interrogation table, wrists and legs retrained. She knew she should be scared, but for some reason,  _ she wasn’t _ .

Kylo Ren was crouched before her, significantly more threatening with his mask adorning his face and distorting his voice.

“Where am I? Where are the others?” She demanded. “You mean the murderers, traitors and thieves you call friends? You’ll be relieved to hear I have no idea.” A deep, robotic noise cut the air thanks to the voice modifying vocoder in his helmet.  _ Friends? Last I remember I didn’t have any of those _ , Rey silently contemplated.

“You still want to kill me?” Kylo questioned.  _ No, never! _ “That happens when you’re being hunted by a creature in a mask,” Rey bit out. The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them - it felt like she had no control over what she was saying.  _ I don’t want to kill you, I never have, why am I saying these things? _

He swifty removed his mask, and Rey was met with a young, unscarred face. What was going on? This was not the Ben she had seen so many times before, not the Ben she had come to care for. She tried to push her energy through their Force bond, attempting to make a mental connection with him to remind him of the small intimacies they shared, trying to remind him of  _ them _ . She was met with an invisible blockade that no amount of straining would push through. It was as if he had never cared for her, as if that bit of Light was not conflicting his every thought.  _ What is going on? What has changed? _

He stalked towards her, dark and daunting, in an effort at intimidation. But she knew Ben. She knew his deepest feelings that she had learned during their moments alone, during the times their Force bond had unwillingly connected them. If anything, he wanted her to turn to the Dark side - he would never hurt her, would he?  _ I don’t understand _ .

“Tell me about the droid,” he pressed, without the slightest inkling of respect. Rey automatically spouted off information about a droid that she didn’t even know existed, again unable to control the fountain of words flowing through her mouth. Some outside force was controlling her, and she didn’t like it one bit.

Something about a map to Skywalker -  _ that name again - _ and she’s pulled from her thoughts once more.

“We need the last piece.” She searched her memory bank for any information regarding this Skywalker or this map and came up short. “Somehow you convinced the droid to show it to you.” _What droid?_ _Ben what on earth are you talking about?_ Rey wanted to shout.

“You. A scavenger,” he spat out with more disgust than Rey had ever experienced from him. “You know I can take whatever I want,” Kylo threatened. With no warning whatsoever, he lifted his hand and plunged into her mind.

Rey felt blinding pain shoot through her entire being, body and soul. He was betraying her - he was forcing memories and intel from her mind, against her will. She strained against him mentally, tears rolling down her cheeks as she automatically tried to guard the information she didn’t even know was there.

“You’re so lonely. So afraid to leave. At night, desperate to sleep - you imagine an ocean.” Rey didn’t understand why this intimate secret being taken from her was so important, why Ben taking it from her hurt her so deeply. As far as she remembered, these weren’t her own thoughts. True, she was lonely and she always had been.  _ But what ocean? _ Regardless, this disloyalty from Ben felt as though it would shatter her in two.

“And Han Solo.”  _ That name again, who was he? _ “You feel like he’s the father you never had.”  _ Kylo talks about him as if he’s still alive. _ But as far as Rey knew, Han Solo - whoever he was - was dead. Ben had killed him in an effort to finish his transformation to the Dark side. She didn’t understand what was going on, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to. She just wanted the pain to stop.

“GET OUT OF MY HEAD!”

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Rey snapped out of her nightmare, sitting straight up, heart beating a hundred miles a minute. A splitting pain shot through her skull, yet still only a fraction of what she had felt during the dream.

As she glanced around the inky darkness that covered her cottage, her eyes followed an seemingly unnatural streak of moonlight, to where they landed on the staff she had found earlier that day.

Without warning, her instincts sent a shocking understanding deep to her core. A chill ran down her spine. Coincidence? No, this was far too profound to be left to chance. 

Something deep-seated in her soul told her that all of this was connected.


End file.
